Machine for wrapping sweets and the like



/June 30,4 1936. l|=. @ROVER C MACHINE FOR WELMPINGV SWEETS AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 -Filed sept. 9, 1935 `June 30, 1936; F @ROVER 2,046,262

l MACHINE FOR WRAPPING swEETs AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 9, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 DN s Patented June 30, 1936 MACHINE FOR WRAPPING SWEETS AND THE -LIKE Frederick Grover, Leeds, England, assigner to The Forgrove Machinery Company Limited, Leeds, England Application September 9, 1935, Serial No. 39,867

- In GreatBrtain December 15, 1934 s clams.l (o1.7 sis-) rThis invention relates to machines for wrap-l ping sweets and the like of the type which` are usually described as twist wrapping machines wherein the opposed ends of the wrappers are Ytwisted by combined rotary and reciprocating movementsv imparted to two pairs of grippers adapted to operate simultaneously on the ends of the wrappers.

The object of the present invention is to effect certain improvements in such machines to make them more adaptable to different sizes of sweets or the like and thereby increase the` eiliciency of the machine.

the type speciiied above the gripper is provided with an adjustment device to enable the amount of the reciprocating movements imparted to it to be varied within predetermined limits. The adjustment device is preferably of such a form that the amount of reciprocating movement is infinitely variablewithin said limits.

The Yinvention is particularly applicable to grippers which are continuously 4rotated but it includesthe application of thedevice to intermittently rotated vgrippers.

y In a preferred construction, the machine comprises-the combination of mechanism for wrapping the sweets orthe like in paper or other material and conveying the sweets and wrappers. to the twisting position, a pair of grippers adapt-i ed to operate simultaneously on opposite ends ofv the wrapper, mechanism for continuously rotating saidgrippers, mechanism for reciprocating said grippers towards and away from each -other and an adjustment devicein the mechanism forreciprocating said grippersoto permitof undesirable.v To avoid this variation a device is provided for imparting a constant opening movement lto the gripperjaws irrespective of the variation of the reciprocating movement of the grippers.` l

A' practical embodiment of a wrapper gripper according to this invention isillustrated, by way of example, 'inthe accompanying drawings, in whichf 7 Y Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one of the wrapper grippers, together with its supporting and actuating mechanism. Y

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. l. f y

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-,3 in Fig. 1.

The opposed grippers are Veach provided withY separate actuating mechanism', the actuating mechanism for one gripper being connected by means of a common shaft tothat ofthe other 10.;`

only one of these is illustrated in the drawings, 15..;

Each gripper a is carriedr by a spindle b mounted for rotation and axial movement," in a bracket c which extends beneath and carries the whole of the said actuating mechanism including thev end of the shaft e. Gearing, comprising an elon-rv gated spur wheel d on the spindle meshing withV a spur wheel d1 on the shaft e, isA provided for rotatingV the spindle b continuously. from said common shaft e, While permitting the spindle b to be reciprocated endwise. Reciprocating mo-A tionof the spindle b is obtained from'acam f mounted on said shaft e and 'operating a lever gv which is pivoted to the bracket c at'g* and has a forked' end g1 for engagement between flanges b1 on the end of said spindleb. The follower f1 on the cam f is connected to said lever g yby. means of a bell crank lever h which carries said4 follower f1 at the end of one its arms. The other armh.1 of the bell crank lever h, extends parallel (in the plan View) to an ,arm` g2 on the lever g and the said arm h1 isof channel section (see Fig.v3) into which a rectangular block h3 is slidably fitted to form part of adriving adjustable coupling between .the lever h and theY lever g whose arm g2 is constructed to lhouse the remaining elements which complete the adjustable connection between the lever h and the lever g and control the position of the block h3 in the channelled arm h1. The elements which complete the adjustable connection betweenA lever h and lever gconsist of a pinv h54 passing rotatablylj through the block h3 and extendingthrough a slot g3 formed in the arm g2 of the lever g with said pin further extended'to terminate in a crosshead g4 to which it is rigidly attached. The crosshead g4 is drilled and threaded to receive anadjusting screw g5 by means of which the cross-V head is moved along the slot g3 carrying with it the block h3 and sliding the block along the chan- 40, e; YThe bracket is .adjustablabyknown.means 'consistingoi thefsc'rew Lfso ,as to enable eachv neued arm h1. Vwhen Vthe mock mis, Yas shown in the accompanying drawings, `at the outermost end.Y of the bellcrank lever h the lever'g 'derivesL shaft for rotating said spindleVa cam on said shaft for reciprocating said grippers, two levers itsmaximumimovenient but when the .block h3 is moved towards thepivot h2k of the bell crank lever h,.which pivot is mounted on the bracket o, the Vmovement of the 'lever g is reduced `proportionally. When theblock h3 is moved to coincide with the pivot h? onthe lever h there is no move, 110

ment of` the lever y, and thereforaby means of the adjusting screwV g5 the reclprocatingmovenient of the jaws a1 can be changed by infinitely f smallgraduations fromV a maximum value down to zero. 1 In order to keep lthe opening movement of the n per spindle b, the operating lever i 'for 1operating other end'of which is connectedfby apiyot It? to one arm of a bellcrank-lev'er'm, the otherjarmof '25 i which is operated byva cani.1Lthroughthejfol-Y thebracketc. The pivot k1 'isarranged approxif.V

the rack rod y by which the jawsqare opened in the well known mannerjis mounted by means .of a pivot non the levert. ;Thisjjaw opening lever i isgpivotally connected to oneend of a link Icfthe lower nl; .The bell cr`ank nlever m vis mounted on mately coincident withV the pivotv` gfxof the Vlever g vso thatthe vjaw opening lever moves with the spindle andwith therack rod and thus the rela- Y. tionship of. the levert' to thespindle bV isgnot Varied by'the amount ofreciprocation oi the gripper spindle. The rack rodandpinion-i'on opening the jaws are ofgthe wellknown eqnstruction. Y

. "rhegbracket c Bn@ which .the Lsitindit b time?.

gripper anditsactuating mechanism are r'n'ounted 'extendsV from a point just behind, thefgripper tolapoint adjacentY to the endL of.jthe shaft gripperto Vbe moved towards 'andaway `fromthe other .and thus set Ythegrip'per to fsuitdifferent lengths of sweets andthe like. Itjis van Yinipor.H tant ffveature of Y this Y invention'. that the recipro- L eating movement of the g'ripperscan bevar'ied after the grippers have been adjusted .tosuitthe lengthiof sweet or.v the like withoutdistrbing the. `inner position Tof the gripper--jaws determined by' the setting adjustment which arises from .the fact that the devices for adjusting the reciprocat-- Y.

ing .movement are .mounted onv .the l`bearings cwhich are adiustableQas va whole by means of the screw `l. VI nfotherfwords adjustinglbr'acket f c does .not disturbftheadjustment o'f the-spindle reciprocating and'. the, jaw opening .means be-l cause the levers.h, g.and ,mare pivotallyfinouni-V ed onthefbracket c. K Y Y vlifhatllaim as `my invention faatnd.desire to one of which engageswithsaidreciprocating Y cam` andlthe'oth'er ofwhich engages with the` ".70 one-ofsaidlevers to tlfieotherV in .order to permit the'am'ount of reciprocating movement imparted Y spindle, inea-ns for Y adjustably Qinterconn'ecting to' thegrippers' tofbefvaried within*predetermined limita r 75 2. V.'Iwist grippers `tor wrapping machines. com- 1dle,`a block slidable in said guides anda pin onv said block engaging in the slot Yin 'the other 1ever,

prising, gripping jaws, a spindle carrying said jaws mounted for rotation and endwise reciprov cation, a gripper driving shaft, gearing on said one having guides'and the other havinga slot, one of said leversengagingwith said reciprocating cam the other lever engaging with the spindle, a

block slidable in said guidesandfa pin on saidV :block engaging in theslot in the other Vlever,

means for adjusting vsaid block towards and away from the pivotrof one ofthe levers in order to permit'the amount of reciprocating movement i imparted t0 ihesrippers to be varied within pre` determined limits.Y Y .Y

.3. Twist Vgrippers Vfor wrapping machines comfprls'ing, Ygripping jaws, a spindlecarrying said moved'endwise, a cam on said "shaitior reciproaV eating Vsaid grippers,A two levers mounted; onf said bearing one having *guides andtheother 'having' a slot, one of said levers lengaging-'with' the spin-"- Y means' for "adjusting said slide towardsfa'nd away from the pivot o f one of the `levers in orderto permit the amount` of reciprocating movement-,JV

imparted to the grippers toV lbeifvaried"Within predetermined limits. n n K `4. Twisting mechanism'lfor wrappingmachine's' comprising'a pairoffgrippers adapted to operate on oppositeendsyof a wrappeneach having a pair of vgrippingl jaws, a spindle carrying 4veach pairv ofi jaws, fnieans4 forwfmounting *said spindle for: rotation and endwise l reciprocation, means @for rotating said spindle,V means foryreciprocating said spindle, means for 'adjusting' the; reciprrJcatfV ing movementsv imparted by said 'reciprocatingr means to saidspindle, meansfor adjusting said initial distance `vof,` the; grippers 'frorn each other whereby Vthe kadjustment of either roffsaid 'adjust-j ing means can "be made withoutj affecting the other, and means f0.1' imparting a constantopen-V 56 ingand closing 'movement tol saidgripping jaws,`

irrespective of the adjustmentsv efl'ected'- by saidV adjusting means.

' J5. Twisting mech'anismrfor wrapping machines l comprisinga pair oi' grippers jadapted tooperateV on oppositeends of a'wrapper, each havinglaji pair of .gripping `jaws, a` spindle carrying each" Y pair of jaws, means,formounting lSaid ,spindleV for rotation and ,'endwise nreciprocation, means for rotating said spindlemeansforsreciprocatingsaid 60 spindle, -means for adjusting the.rreciprocating movements impartedby said means: to saidspin-,` Y

die, rneansgforV imparting an invariable opening.

away lfromeacli` other, either of saiiLadjusting` means being adapted tojpermitofits own adjust;-4 ment without, affecting thee-other!and1 without- 1 aiecting thefopening` and closingmovements of said gripping jaws. Y 6. Twisting mechanism for wrapping machines;v

comprising a pain of grippers adapted Yto -operandV closingmovementto-'said gripping jawa'. Y 'meansror-fadjusnngsaid grippers .towards adfes* v ate on opposite ends of a wrapper,l eachr having a pair of-gripping ljaws,a spindle 'carryingeach mounting .means k'for .thefsp'indle to. vary the-"Aflzr for rotation and endwise reciprocation, means for rotating said spindle, a cam, mechanism actuated by said cam for reciprocating said spindle, a separate means for adjusting the said mechanism to vary the reciprocating movements imparted by said reciprocating means to said spindle, a separate means for adjusting said mounting means for the spindle to vary the initial distance of the grippers from each other, both of said adjusting means being so arranged that the adjustment of either can be made without affecting the other, and means for imparting a constant opening and closing movement to said gripping jaws, irrespective of the adjustments effected by either of said adjusting means. Y

'7. Twist grippers for wrapping machines comprising a pair of grippers adapted to operate on opposite ends of a wrapper, each having a pair of gripping jaws, a spindle carrying each pair of jaws, means for mounting said spindle for rotation and endwise reciprocation, means for rotating said spindle, a cam for reciprocating said spindle, two levers one of which engages with said reciprocating cam and the other of which engages with said spindle, adjusting means for adjustably interconnecting one of said levers to the other in order to permit the amount of reciprocating movement imparted to the grippers to be varied within predetermined limits, separate means for adjusting said mounting means for the spindle to vary the initial distance of the grippers from each other whereby the adjustment of either of said adjusting means can be made without affecting the other, and means for imparting a constant opening and closing movement to said gripping jaws, irrespective of the adjustments eiected by either of said adjusting means. 8. Twisting mechanism for wrapping machines comprisingra pair of grippers adapted to oper- 1 ate on opposite ends of the wrapper each having a pair of gripping jaws, a spindle carrying each pair of jaws, means for mounting said spindle for rotation and endwise reciprocation, means for rotating said spindle, means for reciprocating said spindle, means for adjusting by infinitely small changes between zero and a predetermined maximum the reciprocating movements imparted by said reciprocating means to said spindle,

means for adjusting said mounting means for the 20 spindle to vary the initial distance of the gripy pers from each other, each of said adjusting means being so arranged that the adjustment of either can be made without affecting the other, and means for imparting a constant opening and closing movement to said gripper jaws irrespective of the adjustments eieeted by either of said adjusting means.

FREDERICK GROVER. 

